Steak Cooking Recipes & Techniques

This beef tenderloin is served with a rich and elegant peppercorn sauce.

Pan-fried steaks are served over a light arugula salad and topped with a sauce made of cherry tomatoes, garlic, white wine and cambozola cheese.

An elegant, yet simple dish. Pan-fried beef tenderloin is served with a delicious sauce made with shallots, red wine and dark chicken stock.

This is an extremely flavorful braised short rib dish with a definite spicy 'kick'.

If you don't take the time to properly heat a pan first, here is a bit of science behind why food, such as chicken, sticks to stainless steel cookware.

Are you tired of prying off chicken that has stuck to a pan? Did you know that if you properly preheat your pan to the right temperature before you start to cook, food will not stick to the bottom.

This is a cooking tip that will change the way you use your stainless steel cookware forever.

One of the main reasons why high-end steak houses serve incredible steaks is because they know how to identify premium cuts of beef.

Before the cooking even starts, the first step in duplicating that restaurant-quality steak at home is to understand what you are buying and what to look for in a premium cut. Because there are so many different steaks available, identifying a quality cut can be an overwhelming experience; however, the good news is once you learn some very basic knowledge, it will be extremely easy to go to the market and spot a quality steak.

In this lesson, you will learn how to identify the most popular premium cuts of steak that are on the market. You will also learn about the importance of marbling…and how the type of aging impacts both the quality and cost of meat. You will also learn a few tips for how to choose the most appropriate steak to suit the type of meal you are making. Although many delicious steaks come from various parts of the steer, in this lesson, we are going to focus on the premium cuts of beef.

By learning how to choose premium steaks, not only will you be spending your money wisely but you will be well on your way to creating delicious, restaurant-quality steaks at home.

Most people, in their eagerness to enjoy a good steak, unwrap their steaks straight from the refrigerator and immediately drop them onto the grill or into a pan but a GREAT steak needs a bit more care and attention BEFORE the cooking even begins.

In this lesson, you will learn how to prep, temper and season premium steaks prior to cooking. These simple steps that are taken to prep a premium steak prior to cooking are the tricks of the trade that very few people or cooks practice but these simple steps are guaranteed to positively change your steak experiences forever.

A perfectly-cooked steak is a very personal thing. Everyone likes their steak cooked a particular way and to a certain doneness; however, cooking a steak to the perfect doneness consistently can be a challenge - even for a pro. In fact, even amongst professional cooks, there is a debate on how to achieve this.

In this lesson, you will learn how to cook premium steaks using two different methods: the flip-once method and the flip-often method. We will compare the results of each so you can practice and discover which method you might prefer. We will show you how to determine doneness and why it is vital to rest meat prior to serving. You will also learn about the advantages of cooking steaks on the grill and in a pan.

Finally, using the pan method, we will teach you how to make a quick and delicious sauce to accompany your steak.

By learning just a few simple techniques, you will be able to confidently and consistently cook moist and juicy steaks every time.

In the world of fine cooking, dark meat stock is an essential ingredient in the kitchen. Dark stocks basically replicate the same flavors savored from grilled meats, roasted vegetables and caramelized onions, but in a pure liquid form. This incredibly flavorful liquid allows chefs to inject immediate flavor into their dishes and lays the foundation for them to create many wonderful soups, stews and braised dishes. In fact, a rich dark stock is a saucier’s building block used to create an impressive repertoire of both simple and complex sauces.

This lesson builds upon the principles you learned in the lesson on How to Make Stock Fundamentals. Here, in this lesson, you will learn the difference between white and dark stocks, how to develop flavor through caramelizing and deglazing and how to make a dark stock from beginning to end.

If there was one foundational preparation that connects the home cook to the world of the professional, it would be dark stock. With a good homemade dark stock on hand, you will be able to make many simple meals and tackle more complex dishes with courage. This will allow you to execute many special menu ideas and create a variety of restaurant-calibre dishes.

Buying and cutting up a whole beef tenderloin is a great way to save money. You can cut a steak to any thickness and also use the smaller, leftover pieces of beef to use in a stir fry.

This instructional cooking video on Tempering Steaks, is part of the Rouxbe Cooking School.

This cooking video is taken from the lesson on
Prepping Premium Steaks for Cooking .

Want a more tender steak or juicier piece of chicken? You have to rest meat after the cooking process to allow the muscle fibers to relax.

This instructional cooking video on Introduction to Pan Frying, is part of the Rouxbe Cooking School.

This cooking video is taken from the lesson on
Pan Frying .